Machine for removing the butt-ends of ears of corn.



. s. E. & w. MOR'RAL; I MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE BUTT ENDS 0F EARS OF (JOHN.

APPLIQATION FILE? FEB. 24, 1908.

97,349 Patented Dec. '29. .1908. l QSHEBTs-SKEET 1k wihnaoea sum/Mon s. E. & W. w. MORRAL; MACHINE FOR EEMO'VING THE BUTT ENDS; 0E EARS OF CORE.

APPLICATION FILED 23211, 1908. I 9$K849 Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

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S. E. & W. W. MORRAL. MAUHINE For. REMOVING THE BUTT ENDS 0? EMS 0? 001m. APPLlOATIuH II'LBD FEB. 24., 1908.-

s. E. & W. w. mamn. EAOHIHE FOR REMOVING THE BUTT 3331133 055' EARS OF (FORM. @QKQQ.

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v S. E. & W. W. MORRAL. I MAGHINE FOR REMOVING THE BUTT ENDS or BARS 0F 001m.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2 1 908. 907,849. T Patented Deo.'29. 1908.

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attomoq s. E; & W. w. MORRAL.

MACHINE FOR REMOVING THE BUTT ENDS 0F EARS 0F GORN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24', 1908.

- T v Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

. I 6 SHEBTS-SHEET (L 71 11 T y 1 34 T V r I V both to the-character of -the work done Fig. 4 is an elevation of-the side op osit that 6; liig'. is s detail view of o modified form of Fig. ll s'dotuil view showing a modified SAMUEL'EJMORRAL AND WILLEAM W. MQRR'AL, OE MORRAL, GHI O.

ELAGEHNE FOR E'U'ET-EXQ'DE 01? Q3 EDEN.

To all whom it mayconcem:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL E. MORRAL and WILLIAM VJ. .MORRAL, citizens of the United States, residing at .Morrsl, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Removing the Butt- Ends of Ears of Corn, of which the following a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to machines for removing the butt-ends of ears of corn and is designed more particularly for operating upon green corn, such is used in canning ifLClJUllQS. I

The. present invention is in thonature of an. improvement upon Patent No. 801,258, granted to us October 10,}905, end the objeet ol' the some is toprovide a machine of this character with o highdegree of eiliciency,

and us to the speed with which the sore of corn trundle With this object in view our invention consists in Mrtain novel features of construction and in certain parts and combinations hereinafter to be described, and then morev I particularly pointed out inthe claims.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is u top plan View of a machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is on end elevation of the some; Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detzn sectional view of the cutting mechanism, together with the aging and feeding rollers;'-Fig. 6 is an elevation of o portion of the machine, showing at modified form of gaging and feeding rollers with additional means for conveying ears of corn longitudinally thereof; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of what is shown in Fig.

gaging rollersyl igs. 9 and 10 are end views of the gnging rollers shown in big. 8; and

form of, the guide.

in these drznvin;. ;s, we haveillustrated the preferred form of our invention and have shown the some as comprising a main frame 1, preferably substsntia lly rectangular in shspo and mounted upon suitable standards or supports 2. A drive shaft 25 extends longitudinally of this frame and is mounted in suitublo bearings 4 carried by brackets 5 which are secured to theside of the frame 1. This shaft may be rotated by. any suitable to the side of the main frame 1.

Patented Dec. 29,- 1908.

Serial 330. $217,312. i Q

, .v-v "or to ldirslgiioll i i) means and 18 here shown as provided with a driving pulley 6 on the outer end thereof. A

second shaft 7 extends transversely of the frame 1 and is mounted in suitablebeerings 8 carried on the opposite sides of sznd frame.

This shaft is provided on the end adjacent to the shaft 3 with a beveled pinion 9 ads ted to mesh with a similar pinion 1O carrieby said shaft 3.

Mounted" in the main frame 1 and extend ing transversely thereof are suitable guides, such as gaging rollers,- having their adjacent sides spaced aparti'o distance sullicient to admit the stem or taperedv portion of the buttend of the eorof corn, but not sufficient to permit the passage of the ear or" corn, thus limiting the movement of the ear of corn. longitudinally of the-main ironic and csusing the some to be presented to the cutter in the proper position. In the form here shown these aging rollers comprise a pair of parallel. snslts 11 end 12, arranged in substantially the some vertical plane, journsled in,

dinally of said rolers. i

" The gaging rollers may be rotated in op osite directions in any suitable manner, but we have here shown the shafts 11 and 12 as extending for some distance beyond the outer side of the main frame 1 end having their outer ends supported in suitsble bear lugs 15 and 16 formed in a bracket 17 secured The upper she-ft 11 is hero shown as rotated by a sprockct chain 18 which extends about a sprocket wheel 19, secured to the outer end of the shaft, 11, and o similar sprocket wheel 20, secured to the corresponding end of the shot t 7. A pinion 21, mounted on the shaft 11, meshes with a corrcspomling pinion 22 carriod by the shaft 12 and serves to rotate the shaft 12 at a uniform S)EG(l with the shoft 11, but in the opposite irection.

A suitable butt-removing device is mounted near the free or discharge ends of the gaging rollers and is adapted to engage the ears of corn as the same are fed longitudinally of said gaging rollers and remove the butt-ends thereof. Thisdevice is here shown as cornprising a rotary disk 23, which isrigidly secured to one end of a shaft 2% which is journaled in suitable bearings secured to the side member of the fran'rc l-and provided near the end opposite that to which the cutting disk 23 is secured with a worm wheel 26 adapted to mesh with a. Worm 27 secured to the shaft 7, whereby a rotary nroven'rent is imparted to the disk 23. Suitable shearer bars 2* and 20 are supported from the side member of the frame 1 beneath the cutter disk 22'} and cooperate therewith. lhese shearerbars. which are preferablytwo in number, are supported on opposite sides of the cutter disk and support both the body and the butt of the ear during the cutting operation, thereby enabling the cutter to make a clean smooth cut. "1 he cutter disk 23 preferably extends sonre distance beyond the free or discharge end of the gaging rollers, whereby the ear of corn is engaged and the butts severed therefrom before the ear has passed the end of the gaging rollers.

Suitable means are provided for holding the ear of corn in engagementwith the gag ing rollers 13 and 14 and feeding the same longitudinally thereof while it is held in such engagement. This means preferably comprises a plurality of feeding rollers which engage the ear of corn between them and hold the end of the same against the gaging rollers while it is being conveyed longitudinally of said rollers by 'suitable means. As here shown, the feeding, rollers comprise a pairof parallel shafts 3t) and 31 journaled at their opposite ends in the side members of the frame 1 and lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, which horizontal plane is slightly lower than that in which the shaft 12 of the lower gaging rolleris located. i ormed on or seeurd to the shafts 30 and 31 are feed screws 32 and 33 having their threads turned in the same direction and in a direction corresponding to that of the lower gaging roller 14. is mounted above the feeding rollers 32 and {3-15 and preferably in a vertica lane lying between the vertical planes of t 1e axes of said feeding rollers. 'i.ris feedi g roller prefer ably comprises a shaft 35 journaled in bearings 3G and 37 formed in the ends of arms 38 and L3H, which are pivotally supported on the main rame, the arm 38 being mounted on a suitable stud shaft or pivot pin 40 secured to the side of the n'rairriframe 1, and the arm 39 journalcd on the shaft 11 of the upper gaging 101m 13. or secured to the shaft 35 between the bear in 1, 3e and 37 and has its thread turned in a (llIGt. ion. opposite t n that in which the threads of the lower feeding rollers 32 and 33 are A vertically movable feeding roller 34 The feedl'screw .34 is mounted on I turned and corresponding to the direction in which the thread of the upper gaging roller 13 is turned. We also prcrer to provide suitable means for holding the upper roller 2-H in its proper position. These means are lrcr'c shown as comprising rods 41 extendrng through suitable guides 42 carried by the main frame and secured at one end .o upwardly extending lugs or arms 13 carried by he arms 38 and 3S). Springs Mare coiled about that end of the rod 41 lying beyond the apertured lrrg 42 and are contincd between said apertured lugs and a suit able stop on the outer end of the rod, such as a thumb nut 45. The tension of these springs is such as to eounterlnrlance the upper reedrng rolh-r 34 and permit the same to engage the ears of corn without exerting too great a pressure thereon.

The feeding rollers may be rotated in any suitable manner. in the present instance, we have shown the shafts so and 251 of the rollers 32 and 33 as provided with gears 46 and 47, the gear 40 being actuated from the gear 22 on the shaft 12 by means of an inter mediate gear 48, While the gear 47 is net ualed fr om the gear 46 by means of an irrtcr'rr'rcdinie gear 49, the relation of the several gea rs being such as to cause the lower feeding rollers 32 and 33 and the lower gaging roller 14 to be rotated in the same direction at a unifornr rate of speed. The upper feeding roller 34 is preferably lotated by means of a sprocket chain 50 extending about a sprocket wheel 5t secured to the shaft 35 and a similar sprocket wheel 52 secured to the shaft 11 of the upper gagrnr roller 13, thus causing the upper feeding roller 34 and the upper gaging roller 14 to be rotated in the same direction and at a uniform rate of speed.

A feed trough 53 extends at substantially right angles to the feeding rollers and is supported in a substantially horizontal )osition by means of a brace 54. A suitable conveyer belt extends longitudinally of the trough 53 and as here shown comprises a sprocket chain 55 extending about a sprocket wheel 56 located at one end of the trough 53 and mounted on a shaft 57 which is journaled in suitable bearings 58 secured to the main frame. At the opposite end of the trough 53 the sprocket chain 55 extends about a similar s rocket wheel 59 mounted on a suitablestud siaft 60 carried'by a bracket (31, which is supported on the outer end of the trough 53. The shaft 57 preferably extends beyond the sprocket wheel 56 and is :dapted to be rotated by means of a sIpr-ocket chain 62 ex tending about a sproctet wheel (r3 secured to the outer end of said shaft and about a sprocket wheel 4 mounted on the outer end of ,the shaft 31 of one of the feeding rollers. A short corrugated feeding roller (35 extends transversely of the trough 533 near the inner end thereof and. is capable of vertical movement, whereby the some is adapted to rest upon the ears of corn as they are fed 'longi tudinslly or" the trough53 by the feed lielt 68*, mounted on the trough 53, extends upwerdly'to e point l'ienea-tlrthe arm 68 and is adapted. to engage said erm to limit its downward movement. The 'sharlt 66 also receives its rotary movement-from. the shaft 35 by means of a sprocket chain 69 extendin'gchout similar sprocket wheels 70 and 71 mounted on the shafts 56 and 35, respectively.

In the operation of the machine as thus dcscribed, the ears of corn are placed in the feed trough 53 with their butt-ends foremost, and, as they are carried inwtrdly'ihye the feeding belt 55, they are engaged by the corrugated feed roller and forced between the lower feeding rollers 32 and and the vertically movable 11 per roller 3%, the direction of rotetion of t lose rollers being sucker; to move the ear of corn transversely thereof and longitudinally of the frame 1, until the hutt end thereof comes into engagement with the gaging rollers 13 end 14, the iecdini; rollers 32 and'flt being located in a slight y lower plane than the lower ga/ging roller 14-, thus ormitting the stem or tapered portion of the )utt to extend between the two gaging roll- PPS, are spaced spurt h" distance sullicient, to per- 'mit the stem or smell end of the liutt oi the ear ol corn to enter between the some, but

the space between the rollers is not sullicient to permit theeor of corn itself to enter, and,

lLS theso'rollers have no vertical movement, they form n: elliciont stop to prevent the further movement of the ear of corn in a direction trollsversely of the length oi the sevcrul rollers. The lcodscrews on the feed-- .mun'mmhcs the discharge o it comes into engagement with the cutter23, the drawings, we have illustrated. another winch is so locutod relatively to the ggziging ing rollers serve to convey the oer of corn longitudinally thereof'wl'nle it 18 being held in (mgugomont with the'gcgingrollers, and

the feeding screws on the. gaging rollers, which are rotated in the some direction as the lending: rollers, iucilitilte this longitudinal movmncnt ol' thocor of or rn. the ear l](l of the rollers rollers as to engage the car at such at point ns to sever the str-nlniul butt-end of the cmof corn, thereby removing, the huthend oi the our and looscniillg tho hushs on the emso that the some urofsondily removed by the husking uuuahiuc to which the our ol corn is led nl'i or it lcuvcs tluii uuchiuo for cutting o'll" lilo l mtt-ond thorc olv. As the, bulhcnd ol' the cmol corn is severed, it is discharged As stated, the gaging rollers 13 ondl l l 4 l l l l l l i l from the gaging rollers and drops downwardly through the frame where it may be disposed of in any suitable manncr thc ear of corn itself "being carried to the discharge end of the feeding rollers, where it is dropped upon a suitable table '72 provided wit 1' s downwardly inclined portion 73 which. serves to discharge the ear of corn into a suitable receptacle or conveyor." I

W hile we hove shown and shove-described .the gaging and feeding rollers as heing pro vidod with feed screws, it is olrvions that it smooth roller could be employed for this purpose it suitable means are provided for feed-- ing the ear longitudinally thereof, and, in. Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, we have shown a niecl'ienlsm adapted tonccoinnlish this result. lin these figures we have shown 'gsszing rollers 74 and 75 comprisi 11 smooth rl'lllers adapted to he rotated in. the some II121I111(.-1,t8

the rollers I?) and 14 are rotated. and lm ving" the cutter 23 and shearer lJSt'l'S il s nndilfi) loested in the some relation thereto. The feeding rollers comprise two smooth rollers menu 77,-locctsd one above the other in at substantially vertical plane and sdsptedfto receive the ear of corn from the feed trough and to hold the some with its huthend in engagement with the gaging rollcrs 74 and 75. A. suitehle conveyor is provided for hioving the ears of corn longitudinally of the feeding; and gagingrdllers end into engagement with the cutter. "l his conveyor preferablyiconiprises a pair of endless belts 78 located on opposite sides of the feeding rollers 76 and 77 and provided with fingers or pistes "[9 adopted to engage the ears of corn on the opposite sides of the centers of said rollers and feed the sameforwerd. 'll'iese belts-ere preferably mounted on suitable drums {$0 and 81, mounted on she-its 82 and 83, respectively, stoppositc'ends of the rollers, which. shafts may be operated from the driving mechanism of the machine in any suitable manner. The constuction and operation of the modified form. of the machine, with the exception of l the changes above described, are the shine as that of the machine first described, with the exception that the corn is fed directly to the conveyor mend the feed'trough 53 dispensed WltlL it will further he apparent that various meansmsy he emplo cd for removing the butt-ends oi the ears, end, in Figs. Ste-ill of form of device for accomplishing this. .fis shownin tl'iese figures, the gaging rollers 13 and 14 are provided at their outer'ends with snooping rollers, which, in the present in stance, are corrugated rollers 84 ecccntricelly lut ion of the gaging rollers and the snapping conveying said ear of corn along said gaging rollers serving to pinch or snap oil the butt. end of the ear. \Vhen the-snapping rollers, or similar devices, are employed, the cutting mechanism 23 is dispensed with. Further, it will be apparent that the machine can be successfully operated withmit the use of gaging rollers, as it is possible to substitute some other form of guide therefor. In Fig. 11 of the drawings, we have shown one form of 'guide with which the machine will successfully operate. This guide is shown in con nection with the smooth feeding rollers 1 the gaging rollers 74 and 75.

shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and comprises two fixed guides 85 and 86 mounted in substantially the same positions as were occupied by These guides are, however. stationary and are here. shown in the form of metal plates extending parallel with the feeding rollers 76 and T7 and having their adiaeent edges spaced some distance apart and preferably rounded or bent in such a manner as to cause the same to diverge to- 'ward the feeding rollers. These guides re ceive the end or butt of the ear between them and serve to limit the movement thereof transversely of the feeding rollers and to guide the car into a proper cutting position relatively. to the cutter disk as the ear is moved longitudinally of the feeding rollers by means of the conveyor 78.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that we have provided a machine of the character described, in which the ears of corn may be fed to the same horizontally and will be moved into proper osition relatively to the cutter and will e positively held in that position and positively fed to tthecuttenthe construction and operation of the machine being such that the work is accuratelyperformed, a. uniform portion of the butt-end -of each ear of corn being cut away; and further, that the machine is capabio of being operated at a high rate of speed and the ears of corn fed to the same in rapid succession, thus providing a machine having a high degree of efficiency both in the charactor of the work performed and in the speed with which the ears of corn are handled.

While we have above described and shown several modifications of our machine, we wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging-rollers, and a cutter opcratively supported near the discharge end thereof, of positively operated means for holding an ear of corn against said gaging rollers, and means for rollers and into engagement with said cutter.

2. In a machine of the character described. the combination. with gaging rollers, and a cutter operatively supported near the discharge end thereof, of rollers for holding an ear of corn against. said gaging rollers, and means for conveying said ear of corn along said gaging rollers and into engage-- ment with said cutter.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with aging r0ll ers, and a cutter operatively supported near the discharge en d thereof, of rollers for holding an ear of corn against said gaging rollers, and means carried by the last-mentioned rollers for conveying said car of corn longitudin ally thereof.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging rollers comprising a pair of oppositely rotating rollers mounted one above the other, and a cutter operatively supported near the discharge end of said rollers, of rollers mounted at one side of said gaging rollers and adapted to hold an ear of corn against the same, and means for conveying an ear of corn longitudinally of said rollers.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging roll ers having right and left hand feeding screws, and a cutter operatively mounted near the discharge end thereof, of feeding rollers ada )ted to hold an ear of corn against said gaging rollers and to feed the same longitudinally thereof.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging rollers, and a cutter operatively mounted near the discharge end thereof, of feeding rollers for holding an ear of corn against said gaging rollers, provided with means for feeding the same longitudinally thereof and comprising a plurality of rollers, one of which rollers is movable relatively to another of said rollers.

, 7. In a. machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging rollers having right and left hand feed screws, and a cutter operatively mounted near the discharge end thereof, of feeding rollers extending sulirstantially parallel with said gaging rollers and having right and left hand ,feed screws, and means for rotating all of said rollers.

8. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination, with gaging rollers having right and left hand feed screws, and a cutter operatii'ely sup orted near the discharge end thereof, of feeding rollers having right. and left hand feed screws corresponding to the feed screws of said gaging rollers, one ofsaid feeding rollers being movably mounted relatively to another of said rollers, and means for actuating said rollers.

9.- ln -a machine of the character de scribed, the combination, with gaging rollers located one above the other, and a' cut-' ter operativelysupported near the discharge end thereof, of feeding rollers comprising a pair of rollers mounted insubstantially the same horizontal plane, a third rollermovably mounted above the first mentioned feedingrollers and between the vertical planes of'the axes thereof, means for rotating said rollers and means for moving an ear of corn longitudinally thereof. 7

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging rollare mounted one above the other and having right and left hand feed screws, and a cutter operatively ,-supported near the discharge end of said gaging rollers, of feeding rollers comprising a pair of rollers located substantially in the same horizontal nlane, each having. a feed screw corresponding to the feed screw of the lower gaging roller, a ver-' tically movable roller mounted above said first-mentioned feeding rollers, between the vertical planes of the axes. thereof and having, a feed screw corresponding to the feed screw of the upger gaging roller, and means gaging rollers and adapts for rotating'sa rollers.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with gaging rollers, and a cutter o creatively supported near, the discharge en thereof, of. feeding rollers extending substantially to hold an ear of corn in engagement with said; aging rollers, means for feedin saidearo corn longitudinally ofsaid rol era, a feed trough extending at substantially right angles to v said feeding rollers, and means for conveying an ear of corn longitudinally of said trhugh and into engagement with said feeding rollers. v I g 12. ln-a machine of the character described, the combination, with gagingl'oll and a cutter operatively supported Ilear the discharge end thereof, of feeding rollers extending substantially parallel to said gaging rollers and adapted to hold an eain'o corn in engagement with said gaging 1' llers,

means for feeding said ear or" corn longitudinally of said rollers, a feed trough extending at substantially right angles to said feeding rollers, a conveyor moving longitudinally.

of said: trough, and a positively rotated lmeans for feeding arallel to said ers roller mounted above said feed trough and adapted to engage the ears of corn and movefthe same into engagement with said feeding rollers.

13.A.' machine of the character .de-

scribed comprising a guide, a butt-removing device'near the dischargeend of said guide,

positively operating means for holding an ear of cornagainst said guide, and means for-conveying said ear of corn along said guide and into engagement with said butt- ,removing device.

. 141 A machine of the character described comprising a guide, a butt-removing removing means near t edischarge end thereof, means for holding an ear of corn against said gaging'rollers, and meansfor conveying said ear of thereof.

17. A machine of the character described comprising gaging rollers, butt corn longitudinally" removing means near the discharge end thereof, and feeding rollers for holding'an car com against said gaging rollers and frov ded with means for feeding the same ongitudinally thereof.

' 18. A machine of the character described comprising a guide, a cutteroperatively sup. orted near the discharge end thereof, ro lers for holding an ear of corn against said guide, means for conveyin 5 id ear of corn longitudinally thereof, an s carer bars supported near the .lower edge of said cutter and on opgmsite sides thereof.

. "In testimony where we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL E. MORRAL. WILLIAM W. MORRAL. Witnesses:

Ema F. McKee, EDWARD S. REED. 

